The Bhakti and Sufi Movements stand as two of the most transformative religious and social forces in medieval Indian history. These movements reshaped the spiritual and cultural fabric of the subcontinent. The Bhakti Movement emerged in South India around the 7th century and gradually spread northward. It emphasized personal devotion to God over ritualistic practices. The Sufi Movement, on the other hand, was rooted in Islamic mysticism and arrived in India with Muslim rulers and traders. Sufi saints preached love, equality, and brotherhood regardless of caste or religion.
Both movements played a major role in promoting social harmony and religious tolerance. They challenged the dominance of priestly classes and orthodox religious practices. Poets, saints, and mystics from these traditions left behind a rich legacy of devotional literature. This blog post covers 30 MCQs on these movements for students preparing for competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, and State PSC examinations.
30 MCQs on Bhakti and Sufi Movements – Indian History
1. Which of the following is considered the birthplace of the Bhakti Movement?
(A) North India
(B) South India
(C) Bengal
(D) Maharashtra
2. The Bhakti saint Kabir was a disciple of which guru?
(A) Guru Nanak
(B) Ramanuja
(C) Ramananda
(D) Chaitanya
3. Which Sufi order was the most prominent and widely spread in India?
(A) Suhrawardi Order
(B) Naqshbandi Order
(C) Chishti Order
(D) Qadiri Order
4. Mirabai was a devotee of which Hindu deity?
(A) Shiva
(B) Rama
(C) Krishna
(D) Vishnu
5. Who founded the Chishti Sufi Order in India?
(A) Nizamuddin Auliya
(B) Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
(C) Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar
(D) Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
6. The term “Bhakti” is derived from which Sanskrit root word?
(A) Bhaj
(B) Bha
(C) Bhav
(D) Bhaksha
7. Which Bhakti saint composed the “Bijak”?
(A) Surdas
(B) Tukaram
(C) Kabir
(D) Namdev
8. The Alvars were Tamil Bhakti saints devoted to which deity?
(A) Shiva
(B) Vishnu
(C) Brahma
(D) Indra
9. The Nayanars were Tamil Bhakti saints devoted to which deity?
(A) Vishnu
(B) Brahma
(C) Shiva
(D) Durga
10. Who among the following was the first great philosopher-saint of the Bhakti Movement in South India?
(A) Ramanuja
(B) Madhvacharya
(C) Shankaracharya
(D) Nimbarkacharya
11. Which Sufi saint was popularly known as “Baba Farid”?
(A) Nizamuddin Auliya
(B) Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar
(C) Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
(D) Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
12. Tukaram was a prominent Bhakti saint belonging to which region?
(A) Punjab
(B) Bengal
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Rajasthan
13. Which concept did the Sufi saints use to describe the soul’s union with God?
(A) Tawhid
(B) Fana
(C) Hadith
(D) Ijma
14. Guru Nanak was deeply influenced by which two religious traditions?
(A) Buddhism and Jainism
(B) Bhakti and Sufi traditions
(C) Vedanta and Islam
(D) Shaivism and Vaishnavism
15. Which of the following Bhakti saints belonged to Maharashtra and is associated with the Varkari sect?
(A) Kabir
(B) Eknath
(C) Chaitanya
(D) Surdas
16. The Sufi concept of “Silsila” refers to which of the following?
(A) A form of prayer
(B) A chain of spiritual succession
(C) A type of musical gathering
(D) A Sufi scripture
17. Which Bhakti saint was also known as a weaver by profession?
(A) Namdev
(B) Raidas
(C) Kabir
(D) Tukaram
18. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu belonged to which state of India?
(A) Maharashtra
(B) Odisha
(C) Bengal
(D) Rajasthan
19. The Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya is located in which city?
(A) Ajmer
(B) Lahore
(C) Delhi
(D) Agra
20. Who among the following was a female Sufi mystic known for her concept of divine love?
(A) Rabi’a al-Adawiyya
(B) Mirabai
(C) Andal
(D) Akkamahadevi
21. The Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah is located in which city of Rajasthan?
(A) Jaipur
(B) Jodhpur
(C) Ajmer
(D) Bikaner
22. Which Bhakti saint composed devotional songs known as “Abhangas”?
(A) Kabir
(B) Tukaram
(C) Ramananda
(D) Surdas
23. The Suhrawardi Sufi Order in India was established by which saint?
(A) Bahauddin Zakariya
(B) Nizamuddin Auliya
(C) Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
(D) Baba Farid
24. The Bhakti saint Ramanuja propagated which philosophical doctrine?
(A) Advaita Vedanta
(B) Dvaita Vedanta
(C) Vishishtadvaita Vedanta
(D) Shuddhadvaita Vedanta
25. Which of the following was NOT a feature of the Bhakti Movement?
(A) Rejection of caste distinctions
(B) Emphasis on personal devotion
(C) Promotion of ritualistic worship
(D) Composition of devotional poetry
26. Amir Khusrau was a disciple of which Sufi saint?
(A) Baba Farid
(B) Nizamuddin Auliya
(C) Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
(D) Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
27. Which Bhakti saint rejected both Hindu and Muslim religious identities and said “Neither Hindu, nor Musalman”?
(A) Raidas
(B) Chaitanya
(C) Kabir
(D) Namdev
28. The Naqshbandi Sufi Order became prominent in India during the reign of which Mughal Emperor?
(A) Akbar
(B) Aurangzeb
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Jahangir
29. Which language did most of the North Indian Bhakti saints use to compose their works?
(A) Sanskrit
(B) Persian
(C) Vernacular languages like Hindi, Braj, and Awadhi
(D) Pali
30. Which Bhakti saint founded the Pushti Marg sect and was devoted to Lord Krishna?
(A) Ramanuja
(B) Madhvacharya
(C) Vallabhacharya
(D) Nimbarkacharya
Correct Answers
- (B) South India
- (C) Ramananda
- (C) Chishti Order
- (C) Krishna
- (B) Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
- (A) Bhaj
- (C) Kabir
- (B) Vishnu
- (C) Shiva
- (A) Ramanuja
- (B) Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar
- (C) Maharashtra
- (B) Fana
- (B) Bhakti and Sufi traditions
- (B) Eknath
- (B) A chain of spiritual succession
- (C) Kabir
- (C) Bengal
- (C) Delhi
- (A) Rabi’a al-Adawiyya
- (C) Ajmer
- (B) Tukaram
- (A) Bahauddin Zakariya
- (C) Vishishtadvaita Vedanta
- (C) Promotion of ritualistic worship
- (B) Nizamuddin Auliya
- (C) Kabir
- (D) Jahangir
- (C) Vernacular languages like Hindi, Braj, and Awadhi
- (C) Vallabhacharya
Conclusion
The Bhakti and Sufi Movements left a lasting impression on the religious, social, and cultural history of India. These movements brought people together across the barriers of caste, creed, and religion. Saints like Kabir, Mirabai, Tukaram, and Chaitanya used poetry and song to spread messages of love and devotion. Sufi mystics like Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and Nizamuddin Auliya built bridges between communities through compassion and service.
For students preparing for UPSC, SSC, and State PSC exams, this topic holds great importance in the Medieval Indian History section. A firm grasp of the saints, their teachings, and their associated movements gives a strong advantage in the general studies papers. Practicing these MCQs on Bhakti and Sufi Movements regularly will help build speed and accuracy for competitive examinations.